


But He was Happy

by StarmanSymphony



Category: MOTHER: Cognitive Dissonance
Genre: Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, rated T just in case
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-24 02:30:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18160292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarmanSymphony/pseuds/StarmanSymphony
Summary: Maybe he would've forgiven the Applechasers before if he wasn't too scared to to be on the crew who was playing Hard Mode.





	But He was Happy

**Author's Note:**

> i fought elmadan on hard mode yesterday. i got emotions, and i got them _hard._

He was being honest when he said he was sorry. He wasn’t coming off as genuine even to _himself,_ but he had to hope that Colonel Saturn would believe him and let him stay.

Except none of that happened. He didn’t even muster up the courage to apologise. He simply mentioned something that the Colonel would never understand then left.  But he could work with that! Everything would be just fine - he didn’t need to be around them to feel better about himself. He had a backup plan.

He found Greyface in the hills surrounding Old Sataene, about to get into his one-man spacecraft. His attention was turned towards Elmadan after he called out to him, and soon after, Greyface smiled.

“Elmadan! Long time no see, buddy!” Greyface greeted, leaning on his spacecraft. “You looking for something?”

“Actually… yes.” Elmadan fiddled with his hands as he said, “I know you know the Starmen, and I was wondering… if I could join…?”

Greyface raised an eyebrow. “...I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

“I want to join the Starmen.”

Greyface smirked. “Again, but with gusto.”

“I want to join the Starmen!”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Greyface hopped into his spacecraft and told Elmadan, “Once I get an apple piece from the Satralia radio tower, I’ll tell Giegue you’re willing to join. He’ll probably send someone to pick you up in his stead.”

Elmadan smiled wide, his pointed teeth shining in the evening starlight.

As Greyface’s spacecraft rose into the air, he called out, “See ya, Dan!”

And true to what Greyface had told him, a small Starman ship had come to pick Elmadan up at take him to the Mothership. It was a new start, a new life - and he was happy with it.

However, it turned out that there was one teeny tiny problem:

“While we don’t have many *click* PK Freeze users among our Mooks, your PSI is… *whirr* …lacking if you want to be a soldier.”

The blue Starman Deluxe standing before him, Captain Deepsea, he had introduced himself as, said. The room was a tad small, but it was the only place on the Celine that was private enough for a proper evaluation of Elmadan’s PSI prowess. Or the lack of, in Deepsea’s eye.

“I suppose you could have a job aboard the Mothership *click* doing hall montering,” Captain Deepsea said as he strode towards Elmadan, “or whatever it is those Mooks on the Mothership do.”

Deepsea glanced down at the floor. He put a hand to the space under his eye and murmured, “Although your relations with Greyface may help you…”

Deepsea looked back at Elmadan. “I *beep* suppose you will have to wait and find out.”

Deepsea gave Elmadan’s PSI evaluation to Giegue. And somehow, he wasn’t given a simple job aboard the Mothership. Greyface gave Elmadan the news in an excited hurry - Giegue saw potential in him, and he was to go under training to become a captain. He couldn’t be any happier with that.

Wake up, eat, train, eat, get a break if he was lucky, train again, eat, sleep. It was a strict schedule that he stuck to, but he was happy with it. It was for a good reason. All the training would help him be the best captain he could be. He would be much more powerful by the time he was done.

And he did. He became so much more powerful. He became a captain, and then some. He lead invasions of towns, relentless and unforgiving, all in the name of the Transcending Lord. He became a _conqueror._ And he was happy with that.

Down time was hard to come by, but Elmadan was more than happy when he got it. Or, he was, initially. Sometimes, his mind would stray to times before he joined the Starmen. He would think about how happy everyone was at Bowfest, and the days afterwards… Sometimes, he would regret leaving Saturn. But he told himself he was being silly - he was happy with the Starmen. He was happy being Conqueror Elmadan.

And yet, he found himself back on Saturn anyway. He didn’t bother going directly back into Sataene - he just watched from the hills for a bit. And then off to Satralia he went. It was barren. If there were any Mr. Saturns still around, they must have couped themselves up in their homes. The outskirts of the town - where the meteorites had landed - were far more interesting. It did paint a dreary picture, but it was better than lingering around a motionless town.

Then _they_ came along.

Trotting down the hill came the Mook and the Mr. Saturn who defeated him back in Sataene. They had a rebel Starman and a UFO with them, too. The Starman made Elmadan flinch, but he got over the Starman’s formidable appearance just moments after. He was face-to-face with his old foes once again.

“Aha. Figured I’d never see you again,” Elmadan said. “Actually, it’d have been better for you if I hadn’t shown up, dudes. Cause now it’s a big black game over for you.”

“But… it doesn’t have to be like this, does it? Can’t you just let us by?” Alinivar asked.

“Not a chance. You didn’t help me, and I’m certainly not going to help you” Elmadan sternly told him, crossing his arms. “I bet now you’re thinking… ‘I should have let him join me.’”

Colonel Saturn stood on the balls of his feet, piping up, “But-”

“SHUT UP!” Colonel Saturn shrunk down immediately. Elmadan huffed. “You know _nothing_ about how I feel. You, least of all. All hail the Transcending Lord!”

Even though he had trained so hard, and grown so much, the four who opposed him won again.

“...If only things could have gone differently...”

This isn’t what he wanted. He just wanted to have a good life. But only now was he realizing he didn’t. He thrived off hate, he tore people apart…

In his last moments, he was filled with more regret than he had ever been.

He… wasn’t happy.


End file.
